Trials and Tribulations of Nobles
by SailorIo24
Summary: My first Bleach fanfiction with my OC Tsukiko Amateratsu. OCXByakuya A story about learning to love again. Sorry, not great at making summaries  ; Rating may change for future chapters. Apologies for any misspellings or errors I missed. CHAPTER 4 UP
1. Chapter 1

"Tsuuuukiiiiko-chaaaaaan~~"

The red-haired woman closed her eyes and slumped her body when she heard the unmistakable voice ring out behind her. Tsukiko Amaterasu had just gotten off from work for the day and was on her way home, a short stack of paperwork cradled under one arm. Of course she had paperwork to do, seeing as Omeda has skipped out early. Sighing, she came to a stop to look behind her. The individual that had called out her name practically collided with her, pulling her into a hug and smushing her boobs against her.

"Good evening…Matsumoto…,"Tsukiko huffed as she attempted to pry herself from the woman's death-grip. The fuku-taichou of division ten chuckled and beamed down at the shorter woman, latching onto her free arm and pulling her off in another direction.

"Hey, where are ya goin? Come on, let's go have a drink tonight!"

"No thank you," the dark-skinned woman quickly responded; she had better things to do than sit around at some stinky, cheap bar and down shot after shot of low-grade sake. She grumbled when the strawberry-blonde woman began to lean against her.

"Oh come oooon~ Don't be such a stiff, you'll have a good time, I promise! What do you have there..oh..paperwork are you serious?. Do that later, come on! Izuru and Shuhei are coming too. Hey, it can be a date..a double date, you can have Izuru," Rangiku laughed. It sure seemed like the woman had dove into a bottle or two beforehand. Tsukiko groaned, finally managing to pry herself from the superior officer. She furrowed her brows, fixing her hair and mused haori of purple-dyed silk.

"Please, Matsumoto..I'm really not interested today. Maybe..some other time okay? I'm just really busy today," the dark-skinned girl huffed as she began to walk away. But before she could make it a few feet ahead she heard footsteps follow behind her.

"..you say that every time I ask you to come drink with me," Rangiku pouted, her arms crossing her chest.

"And you think you would have picked up on the hint by now..?," Tsukiko couldn't help but smirk a little. She sighed and looked up at the woman she did sort of consider a friend. '..I promise this time, okay? Just not today. I have something important I have to attend. Please give my apologies to Hisagi-fukutaichou and Kira-fukutaichou. Have a good evening, Rangiku…," Tsukiko took a few steps forward before vanishing via shunpo, on her way home. Rangiku sighed heavily and put her hands on her hips.

"..When are you going to start having a little fun? Man, I'm glad I'm not a noble..too much responsibility…Oh well!~ Off to the bar~," the woman chuckled and skipped off in the opposite direction. She'd go bother Tsukiko tomorrow night.

"Welcome home, Tsukiko-sama. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Do you require anything before then?"

"No. Thank you, I'm going to go change. Call me when it's ready, Midori."

The taller brown-haired girl bowed low at the waist as the young head of the Amaterasu Clan walked through the main gate. The girl that had greeted her was the family's servant, having served the noble family since the eldest son was born. The family property had grown since then, nowhere near as large as say the property from one of the Great Nobles, but there was enough space for the main living areas, a small training hall and a rather impressive cherry blossom orchard; there were also cherry blossom trees lining the outside of the perimeter wall. Also new to the grounds was a koi pond and a onsen, which Tsukiko was very much looking forward to after eating.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Tsukiko slid open the door to her personal quarters. Her arrival had been anticipated, seeing the lanterns lit and her change of evening clothes folded and laying on her futon. She lay her paperwork down on her small desk and began to slip out of her purple haori and uniform, glad to finally be able to relax for the rest of the day.

"Well, look who's home..little Miss Goody-Goody~" a taunting voice chuckled from outside her room. The dark-skinned woman sighed again, sliding the door open to look upon the form of her taller but one year younger brother Yamato. He hadn't changed out of his uniform, which was still missing a sleeve and his zanpakuto was still strapped to his side. Tsukiko stared balefully at him for a few moments, before pushing past him.

"You should really replace that shabby shihakushou, brother. It's unseemly…"

"Shut up. It looks cool! And quit talkin' like that..all high and mighty," Yamato caught up to her and grinned widely, showing his teeth, ',..it's freakin' annoying. What's say you and me have a sparring match after dinner. I'm meeting some of the guys later but I have plenty of time before then to kick your sorry ass." Tsukiko merely scoffed and lightly shoved her brother aside, turning a corner toward the dining hall.

"Yamato..you haven't been able to beat me in a sparring match since we first started going to the academy. Third seat..TENTH seat. Ban Kai..NO Ban Kai..please, you're wasting my time..," the woman replied with a smirk as she pointed to herself and then her brother in turn. This made him growl and grip the handle of his zanpakuto.

"Aaah, there's my favorite grand-daughter! Come, sit sit we have company for dinner this evening." Tsukiko's eyes widened as she stepped softly into the brightly-lit dining hall. It was large enough to fit twenty or so people comfortably, the surrounding sliding walls decorated with pastel colors and pictures of cherry blossoms. The pale tatami mats were clean and room smelled of citrus. She received a wide welcoming smile and wave from an old family friend, one she greatly respected and..had come to see as a second father.

"Hey, welcome home Tsuki-chan. You look tired, been busy all day?," the white-haired man greeted. The dark-skinned woman bowed lightly before entering, taking her seat at the head of the table. She smiled lightly to Jushiro and nodded her head.

"It wasn't too eventful..I spent most of the morning filling out paperwork. The graduation ceremony for the next group of recruits is in a month, so Soi Fon-taichou is going to let me go with her tomorrow to scope out the new talent," Tsukiko's eyes travelled down the table, bowing to her other guests. To her immediate left and right were of coarse her parents. Her mother, Chizuru..a beautiful woman with long dark brown hair and light green eyes, smiled proudly at her. And her father, Hatori..an intelligent man with strong features, short dark rust-colored hair and blue eyes. He had taken his glasses off, only really needing them to read.

Sitting next to Hatori was Jushiro Ukitake, wearing his best formal kimono, just opposite him was Shunsui Kyoraku already pouring himself a shot of sake and offering the same to Chizuru. Tsukiko's eyes quickly fell upon the next guest, gazing upon the form of Byakuya Kuchiki. He seemed disinterested in the ideal chit-chat, and gazed back at her as if waiting for something. His sister Rukia was here as well, giving Tsukiko a friendly smile. But the dark-skinned girl was most intrigued by the final guest that her brother Yamato had plopped himself next two.

"..S-Shihoin-sama..?" This wasn't the first time Tsukiko had been in company of the former commander of the Onmitsukidō. But this was the first time she had shown up at her dinner table. The raven-haired woman glared up the table, taking the small cup of sake away from her lips.

"Aaah, don't call me that..it's embarrassing. You're just like her, you know. Come on, can we eat now?" A deep belly laugh came from the eldest member of the Amaterasu family, Kozue who sat on the opposite end of the table facing his grand-daughter.

"Hahaha!~ Yes, yes let's dive right into this wonderfully prepared meal before it gets cold," the old man replied raising his own sake cup. "Hmm, yes..this would be..the anniversary of the passing of Keiko. This is for you, my dear. To Keiko!~

"..To Keiko.."

Tsukiko ate mostly in silence, conversing only when someone addressed her. She seemed a little distracted. Where was Seito..? Shunsui seemed to sense her disappointment and smiled lightly, filling her cup with warm sake.

"He didn't seem to want to come tonight, sorry about that. Seito sends his apologies.." The dark-skinned girl let out a soft sigh and took a small sip. Sake wasn't her favorite thing to drink, but at least it tasted good and she accepted it to be polite.

"It's not your fault, Kyoraku-taichou..no need to apologize. I know that..he still feels pain even after so long…" Tsukiko returned her attention to Yamato, frowning as she witnessed him trying his 'manly' charms on Yoruichi.

"You could have at least changed into your formal-wear before coming to the table, nii-chan. Could you at least try to act like you have noble blood?"

"Oh, give it a rest would ya? At least I showed up. Honestly, I would have preferred to go out drinking with Ikkaku and Renji. These formal dinners kinda bore me," Yamato grunted as he rubbed the back of his neck. Tsukiko finished her bowl of rice and wiped her mouth with the cloth spread across her lap.

"These dinners help to build relations and trust with the other noble families. Please don't ruin this..Understand how important this is to me."

"Fine, fine..sorry I'll dress better next time."

"And do something about that crazy hair.."

"Whaaat? There's nothing wrong with my hair. Heh, girls think it's sexy..right, Rukia-chan?," Yamato grinned at the small girl sitting on the other side of the table.

"Don't get me involved..no comment…"

The sky was very clear tonight, stars shone exceptionally bright and the moon was very full. The young head of the Amaterasu clan adjusted the long red obi sash that draped her shoulders and continued to literally stare into space. Nights like these were calming and she felt any stress that had built up throughout the day melt away. The scent of the blossoming cherry blossom tress relaxed her further, reaching her arms up to catch a few of the falling petals into her out-stretched hands. She liked spending time to herself in the orchard. The red-haired girl tilted her head when she felt a reiatsu coming up behind her. She knew who it was, not having to turn around.

"The moon..is especially beautiful tonight..," she spoke softly, glaring up at the round glowing sphere.

"..yes, I suppose it is." Tsukiko smiled lightly as the man stopped to stand beside her.

"What brings you out here, Kuchiki-sama? I..would have thought you'd have left already. It must seem boring here to you. And I apologize for my brother..he's not as refined as I am. I will talk to him about that later…"

"There is no need." The head of the Kuchiki clan replied, looking up at the moon himself. He reminded silent and still, the only movement betraying his presence was the billowing of his formal robes and long dark hair as a light breeze began to pick up. His gaze fellow upon the small woman in front of him, watching her as she collected blossoms in her hands. He blinked as she let out a light chuckle and turned her head to look him in the eyes.

"Unless, of course..you like being here? You know you are always welcome on my grounds for anything you wish. I'm sure sometimes you can't even get peace and quiet at your own home. No one will bother you here..unless you want them to," Tsukiko smiled softly and began to walk further into the orchard. Byakuya glared after her. Was she leaving? After a few moments hesitation, he followed a few feet behind her. He was going to go for a walk anyway.

"The trees..look fuller this year.."

The two had walked in silence for ten minutes, and Byakuya's attempt to begin conversation made Tsukiko look behind her, before nodding and looking up at the full branches of the cherry blossoms hanging over their heads.

"Jii-san has been tending to them ever since they were planted. They are his pride and joy..well, next to me he says. Ah..here, he asked me to give these to you," the red-haired woman pulled a small velvet pouch from one of the long sleeves of her furisode. "Carefully chosen seeds..for your own orchard." Tsukiko held the pouch out for Byakuya to take, but when he didn't make a motion to take them from her she stepped closer.

"Here..I insist..,"Tsukiko grinned up at him. "It's a gift..are you really going to refuse a gift, Kuchiki-sama?" The tall man closed his eyes and lightly nodded his head, stretching his arm out to accept the blossom seeds. She hesitated, surprised that he was allowing her to place them in his hand herself.

"I will give them to Rukia to plant outside her room," the tall man replied as he slid the small parcel inside his robes. Tsukiko smiled again and gave him a nod.

"I'm sure she will like that. Your own orchard is vast, surely you don't really need those yourself. Rukia has..a nice brother.."

"Tsukiko..have you thought about taking the taishu yet?" The dark-skinned woman's smile dropped from her face as she noted Byakuya trying to change the subject. She broke eye contact looking off into the distance as if she was looking for something.

The test one has to take to achieve the rank of taichou…Of course she had thought about it, on several occasions. But..

"I don't think..I am ready yet. I understand that the Gotei 13 is in a bit of a disadvantage because of the empty spots but…," Tsukiko slightly slumped her shoulders. She had been training herself, practically every day to become stronger and gain better control of her Ban Kai. Her Ban Kai..that was the most concerning. It was unrefined, and she hadn't fully mastered it. The last thing she wanted to do was become a burden to anyone because she wasn't strong enough.

"The Gotei 13 needs to fill those positions. You say you wish to contribute all that you can to the Soul Society. Full-fill your duty as a Shinigami..and take the exam. Worry about everything else later."

"Kuchiki-sama..," Tsukiko let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her bangs, jumping slightly as she felt Byakuya take hold of her chin, bringing her face back around so she was looking him in the face again.

"You are capable of handling the position, whether you think so or not. Are you..afraid?" Tsukiko furrowed her brows at that last remark, tensing her body and clenching her fists.

"Of course I'm not afraid! I fear nothing..!," she caught herself, taking a deep breath, '..I'm not afraid, Kuchiki-taichou." The tall man released his grip and began to walk past her, stopping when she wasn't following behind him.

"Come. We shall talk more about this."

Tsukiko stood frozen in place. Was this man actually showing confidence in her? That sure didn't seem like him at all. This had to have just been for the sake of the Soul Society. The empty gaps had to be filled, she knew that. But, was she really ready like he said? Gritting her teeth, she obeyed and followed Byakuya not sure where he was taking her.

The Seireitei was more or less quiet that night, aside from the occasional open bar and small group of friends milling around the allies. It was the beginning of spring, so the air was a bit chilled. Tsukiko wrapped her sash tighter around her shoulders as the breeze grew colder. The tall man she was still following didn't seem fazed at all, walking in silence and not looking back anymore to see if she was still behind him. She wondered why Byakuya really had her follow him, and where were they going? She decided not to ask too many questions, not wanting to bother him. She knew her way very well around the city and from the look of it, they were heading..to the Kuchiki Manor? Maybe he felt they could talk in piece here? Why? They could have continued to talk in length back on her property.

Of course Tsukiko wasn't exactly complaining. It was beautiful here. More so than her own place. She turned her attention to the vast koi pond, shimmering strongly from the light of the full moon. Beneath the water she knew where some of the largest most rarest golden koi. It was here that Byakuya came to a stop, gazing silently into the water. She took a step beside him, looking up with questioning eyes.

"U-Um..Kuchiki-sama.."

"Why do you wish to become taichou?," the tall man asked in length. He had not looked up, keeping his face expressionless. Tsukiko didn't take long to answer.

"Because..I feel it is my duty. I feel like I have a lot of offer. I've known I've wanted to become taichou since I was young..," the red-haired girl looked up at the moon, before returning her gaze to Byakuya, '..I train tirelessly for it. I will attain it. But..mastering ban kai is essential to me first. I do not want to become a burden..or dead-weight." She looked away this time, clenching her fists. "..I want my family..my grandfather..to be proud of me. For my friends and subordinates to know they can trust and rely on me if and whenever they need to."

Byakuya stared at the dark-skinned girl as she voiced her concerns. He really couldn't sympathize with everything she said. Usually he didn't care what others thought about him and he kept his own subordinates at a distance. But he did understand her wanting to protect what was important to her.

"..You can continue your training, but my suggestion to you is to consider taking the taishu soon. Your skills in combat are adequate and you have the leadership skills needed to be a successful taichou." The captain turned to face her, showing the slightest hint of a softer expression, '..as a favor, to me and everyone you care for. Consider it."

Tsukiko wasn't sure what to say. She wasn't sure what was more surprising, the fact that he had asked her to do this as a personal favor..or the fact it sounded like he had just complimented her skills. The red-haired girl averted her gaze, not being able to help the grin that spread across her face of the soft blush that crept itself onto her cheeks.

"A-Alright..I'll think about it. And I'll still train my hardest. Thank you..for your kind words, Kuchiki-sama. It means a lot, especially coming from you," the dark-skinned girl turned to walk away, assuming that Byakuya was finished talking to her, but he had fallen in step behind her and it made her stop.

"Is..there something else you wanted to talk to me about?" The tall man glared at her for a few moments, then turned away. Was he trying to tell her something?

"..no..it is nothing.." Tsukiko furrowed her brows and stepped closer, tilting her head to the side.

"Kuchiki-sama..you can tell me..if you want to. I'll listen to what you have to say. But only if you want to," the woman smiled and bowed lightly; maybe it was time for her to head back home and prepare herself for work tomorrow..and training if she had the spare time. Afterall, she would be going with Soi Fon to the academy to evaluate the pre-graduates. She had a feeling that would take a good portion of the day and she should be well rested for it. Tsukiko took two steps away, and felt a light weight on her left shoulder

"You..can stay for a while if you wish to.." the tall man replied in a soft whisper. He stared her in the eye for a few moments more, then turned to leave, leaving Tsukiko to her thoughts.

How bizarre. Tsukiko had noticed that in these last few months Byakuya's attitude had changed somewhat..at least toward her. It was like he didn't really seem to mind her being around; this was the fifth or so time she had been to the vast Kuchiki Manor, definitely the first time she had been here at night. She didn't really know what to think of it, but she accepted it. What was going on…? Tsukiko picked a comfortable grassy patch under a large tree and sat down, enjoying the cool feeling against her skin. So peaceful. The young heiress wondered what her family was doing now that she wasn't home; she knew her grandfather at least was probably enjoying some top-grade sake with Shunsui and Ukitake.

Tsukiko had lost track of how long she had been staying under the cherry blossom trees and before she had even realized it..she had fallen asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Tsukiko awoke to the sound of birds chirping outside. When she opened her eyes, she found that she was no longer outside under a tree. The sun hadn't exactly risen above the horizon just yet, but light was just beginning to flood the room. She blinked as she looked up at the ceiling and furrowed her brows; something was off. Slowly she sat up, letting the light blanket slip from her shoulders. This room…this wasn't _her_ room. In fact it was longer, wider and taller than her own room. There was a tall cabinet and desk on the far side of the room, but other than that it was fairly empty. Next to her was her furisode and obi sash, neatly folded. Her eyes widened further when she saw not only her shihakusho, but her zanpakuto as well. Where was she? How long had she been asleep? If she remembered correctly, she didn't have her uniform or zanpakuto with her. Tsukiko groaned lightly and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to remember what had happened last night. The last thing she remembered was talking to Byakuya…

"Excuse me, Amaterasu-sama? Would you like anything to eat this morning?", the red haired girl snapped her head up as a voice sounded on the other side of the sliding screen door. A servant?

"No..no thank you. I need to be going now. I'm sorry." Tsukiko stood and quickly began to change into her uniform. She didn't want to stay here longer than she needed to. But she would have to thank Byakuya for his hospitality and apologize for being a burden. She hoped that she hadn't worried her parents, having disappeared completely last night. Tsukiko didn't have time for breakfast anyway, she didn't want to be late for work, especially today. Strapping her zanpakuto to her waist, the girl opened the sliding door to depart but stopped dead when the head of the Kuchiki Clan blocked her way.

"A-Ah..good morning, Kuchiki-taichou. Um…," Tsukiko stammered as he glared expressionlessly down at her.

"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Surely you plan on eating before you leave," Byakuya questioned.

"Oh..well..actually I'm not hungry right now. I'll have lunch la-"

"You'll have breakfast..with me and Rukia. How do you expect to be alert today if you do not eat? Come."

"But..I'm not.." Tsukiko flinched when he turned to look at her.

"I will not repeat myself.." The red-haired girl gave in. Well, he had been nice enough to allow her to spend the night, the least she could do was repay his kindness by joining him and his sister for breakfast.

"I think he's taken a liking to you~"

"H-Huh?"

Tsukiko and Rukia had left together after eating, leaving Byakuya alone to do whatever he had to do before heading to his own work that day. The shorter girl chuckled as she witnessed Tsukiko flush a deep red and fidget nervously with her sword's hilt. Rukia herself was off today, but she didn't mind walking a bit with her old friend.

"Well, you do like Nii-sama don't you? Why don't you talk with him finally? How long have you been interested in him anyway?"

"It's…complicated…," Tsukiko merely huffed as she shifted an envelope of paperwork under her arm. It was true that she liked the sixth company captain for a very long time. She had almost instantly fallen for him the moment she first lay eyes on him. But then, the same could probably have been said about a lot of the female members from his squad. Rukia folded her arms across her chest and sent her friend a confused expression.

"What's so complicated about it? Hmm..I guess my brother does seem unapproachable sometimes. Hey, if you want maybe I can talk to him a bit for you?"

"No no, don't do that! I'll…I'll talk with him. When I'm ready, I'll talk with him." Tsukiko walked ahead of the shorter girl a bit and turned to face her. "I don't want to be a bother to him, I'm sure he has other things to worry about than some other girl confessing their feelings."

"Tsukiko-san..you're not just any other girl. What sets you part from them is that you're a noble. That should make it a bit easier," Rukia replied and smiled widely,'..'besides..I kinda wish I had a sister to talk to sometimes." The red-headed girl blushed as Rukia laughed and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Just go for it. I already think that Nii-sama doesn't mind your company. That has to account for something."

"Perhaps. I gotta go now. If I'm late Soi Fon-taicho will have my head and then I won't be able to talk to Byakuya-sama. Thank you, Rukia-san. Let's get together later and go shopping. I saw a kimono I wanted." Rukia nodded and waved good-by to her.

"Sure, I'd like that. I'll bring Renji. We'll need someone to carry all the stuff we buy," the girls laughed before going their separate ways.

It was very uncharacteristic for him to take an unexpected day off..or rather leave early. Byakuya Kuchiki was always the last one to leave the division six barracks, finishing whatever mountain of paperwork was left on his desk. Around noon, he had excused himself leaving behind a confused and possibly concerned Renji in his office to finish the paperwork. The noble man just had too many things going through his head that morning and for the first time a very long time, concentrating on his work wasn't working very well. Why? Why, as of late, couldn't he think of anything else..anyone else but the red-headed woman…?

Byakuya walked aimlessly as he often did on his normal late-night walks, ignoring everything else around him. The occasional squad member called to him, wishing him a good afternoon but he didn't hear them. And he wasn't in a rush to get anywhere so he took his time walking…nowhere. It was a nice day at least, a cool spring breeze lightly ruffling his hair and scarf billowing behind him in his wake. He was left alone to his thoughts, trying to figure them out. Thirty years..give or take. That was about how long he had known the current 19th head of the Amaterasu clan. It was at a gathering among all the nobility that he had first lain eyes on her. He would have had preferred not to attend at all, but was obligated; some among the highest-class nobility had came up with the idea that unity and good moral between the families was a good idea. Byakuya was forced to take up meaningless chit-chat.

So many individuals there, and she among them seemed to stand out for some reason. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself with an air of almost arrogant confidence. Her very aura seemed to demand the utmost respect. She had not once out-stepped her boundaries, begin highly respectful to anyone of higher rank than herself and keeping those of lower status at a distance. She certainly fit the role of nobility. Byakuya had heard her being called the 'princess' of the Amaterasu clan on several occasions. During that gathering, she had even spoken with him for a short while. He stuck up a conversation with her and to his surprise, was impressed of how knowledgeable she was on things. This woman of blood-red hair and ebony skin, something about her had grabbed his attention that night…

The Amaterasu Clan was about as old as his own family, and through the years they had been climbing in rank among the other lower-class noble families. Currently, she among her family was the strongest most prestigious member, stronger even than her grandfather Kozue who was a former captain himself. Byakuya had known that she would be joining the ranks of captain very soon, sooner than she probably realized. Tsukiko was highly qualified, if she focused her training even more on strengthening her Ban Kai she would probably almost be on equal standing with him. Her spiritual pressure admittingly was impressive.

Byakuya sighed and looked around him, finding that he had stumbled into one of the high-end shopping districts in the Seireitei. A few people seemed surprised to see him, others stopped to bow respectfully as he walked passed their shop. His mind still continued to wander as he walked through, trying to ignore his surroundings again.

Tsukiko. Tsukihana..that was a nickname he had heard her close friends and family call her. 'Moon flower' Somehow it seemed rather fitting. She was strong, yes. Aspects of the girl's personality reminded him of himself. But also..he had witness on other occasions, particularly last night and these last few months, that she possessed a softer side, one that was delicate..and attractive. This softness, the serene and welcoming expression she had in her face and emerald green eyes..this aspect of her personality reminded him of Hisana. And then there was her smile. A rare event, it made her even more beautiful. The noble man grumbled inwardly, unable to rid his mind of such thoughts. But did he really want to? She wasn't like other girls, certainly not like any of his female subordinates that blushed and stammered like blithering idiots whenever he was around them. At least he thought she wasn't; who knows what she was like when he wasn't in her presence.

It had been a long time since he had even thought about courting another woman. He had thought of no one, or even allowed himself to think of another woman other than his deceased wife..until now. Byakuya found himself stopping outside one shop, glancing in a window. His eyes fell upon a light colored silk scarf, pinkish white like the petals of cherry blossoms. Of course, no other scarf was as impressive or valuable as his own. Something else caught his attention as it was reflecting the sunlight filtering in from the shop window. A hairpin..or broach of some kind in the shape of a cherry blossom flower and matching the color of the scarf beside it.

"Aaah~ Kuchiki-taicho. Welcome, welcome. Such an honor it is to have you visit my humble little shop!" Byakuya looked up at the store owner, and elderly man with well-groomed black and grey hair and flamboyant-colored robes. His grin was wide and he lightly rubbed his heavily wrinkled hands together. He caught the noble captain glancing at the items in the window and grinned even wider.

"Such excellent taste, as much as I expected from someone as noble as you. Not nearly as impressive as the scarf that adorns your own shoulders but still made from some of the highest quality silk. My most beautiful item.. _sakurairo hikiwata*_cherry blossom color floss silk_*,_I believe it is my last one. And the hairpin, I sold its twin only yesterday!~ Perhaps for someone special, my lord? I will even throw in that beautiful hairpin at a considerable discount~" The shopkeeper gleamed up at the taller man before him, but Byakuya had turned his attention elsewhere. He sensed a familiar spiritual pressure, several in fact. He decided to conduct business quickly and make himself scarce, shunpo-ing away and masking his spiritual pressure to avoid detection. He would rather not be seen here.

He found himself at home a few moments later, changing out of his shihakushou and captain's haori into something more casual; if he was going to take the day off, why sit around still dressed in his uniform? Byakuya took the green-wrapped parcel out from his pocket and placed it on his desk, untying it carefully to look at what he had just purchased. Now that he had a closer look at them, the white-pink floss silk scarf and matching hair pin looked better in this light. The scarf itself even seemed the gleam brightly and he ran his fingers over it, examining the cloth closely. He wondered if she would like it…Byakuya closed his eyes, thinking things over. Of course he had gotten wind of the fact that Tsukiko had had some feelings for him. But was she really serious about them? Would she even accept such an extravagant gift? And why couldn't he get her out of his mind? Byakuya re-wrapped the scar and hairpin, putting them away inside a cupboard until the opportunity to give them to her arose. In the meantime, he decided to do a little calligraphy to calm his mind.

It was one of the few things he liked to do in his spare time that relaxed him when he was tense or mulling over something stressful. But he didn't think that thoughts of Tsukiko running though his head was exactly stressful. The brush in his hand seemed to move on its own as it ran across the blank parchment, creating the first character. This woman..they didn't even spend that much time together. But he couldn't deny, as much as he tried, that being in her presence was..enjoyable on some level. She listened to him when he talked about things no one else really seemed to care about. And she seemed to have a knowledgeable understanding of politics and noble things. They even debated on things every once in a while, nothing really heated or anything like that; she picked his brain, and he actually enjoyed the challenge. The noble captain looked down at his parchment and frowned at the character he had just written…月tsuki 'moon'.

_Dammit_

Byakuya growled inwardly and crumpled the parchment, tossed it aside and pulled out a fresh sheet. How was he being so one-track minded? He tried again, trying to concentrate this time. Not..that he didn't like the moon. Particularly when it was full and shining so brightly. He could spend hours staring at the moon, enjoying its beauty. Sometimes it actually looked red, a soft red. The color red, it wasn't his favorite but sometimes it was nice. Mostly crimson, like the long crimson locks of her hair. Her hair was rather long, it hid her neck and covered her back. The color seemed to complement her ebony skin tone. Byakuya shook his head and looked at what he wrote this time, growing a bit frustrated this time.. 赤い月akai tsuki 'red moon'.

_Again__..?_

The noble man pushed his calligraphy aside after the second failed attempt to get the woman out of his mind. What was he going to do now? Perhaps..he could get some advice, as much as he didn't want anyone to know that he was having these feelings at all. There was really only one person he even felt slightly comfortable with talking about such things. He'd go to see him later after hours. Byakuya was pretty sure the man in question was busy with other things right now.


	3. Chapter 3

Tsukiko stared down into her steaming cup of hot tea, seeming to lose herself in it. There was a single stem floating on the top. She wasn't exactly a superstitious person, but she took it as a good sign anyway. Smiling, she took the cup in her hands lifting it to her face and enjoying the sweet aroma; this was her favorite time of day. After her outing with Rukia and Renji, Tsukiko had retired back to her estate and settled into her room. All the sliding doors were open that faced the outside yard, allowing the cool evening air to circulate around the room. So peaceful. She wondered if Byakuya was doing the same thing. Or maybe he was off doing something important. Tsukiko wished she could have gone to visit him for a while. Unfortunately, she knew that she couldn't just show up randomly uninvited.

The stack of paperwork she had on her desk remained untouched since yesterday. She had finished more than half of it and would probably only need another hour or so to complete it. She grinned; there was some work in that pile that she was supposed to deliver to him at some point. Not that she would do that tonight. Why bother him at home when he was probably relaxing? The girl blushed as her mind wandered with thoughts of her crush.

"..Byakuya-sama..," she mouthed silently. No other man entered her thoughts as much as he did. She liked everything about him. His tall stature, the long silky black hair. She found his deep voice incredibly sexy, and his slate grey eyes she could get lost in. The girl shuddered slightly as the thought of him just piercing her with his very gaze sent a pleasurable chill up and down her spine. Tsukiko looked up when the family servant appeared by her door, carrying a tray which she assumed was dinner for the evening.

"It's spicy curry tonight for dinner. I hope it is to your liking, Tsukiko-sama," the small girl with short brown hair replied. She stepped carefully into the room and set the tray down beside the young head of the estate.

"That's fine. You are a wonderful cook, Midori. I'm sure it tastes fine just like everything else you cook," Tsukiko finished her tea and removed the cover that topped the ceramic bowl. Inside was the contents of her meal, a red-orange curry with vegetables and chicken. There was a plate of steaming rice piled on a plate beside it and Tsukiko took a cloth napkin to place over her lap. "You are dismissed for the night. Thank you, Midori."

"Thank you, Tsukiko-sama. I will pick up your tray in the morning then." With that, the girl bowed respectfully and turned to leave. Adjusting her yukata and apron as she departed. Tsukiko proceeded to eat in silence, the only sounds around her was the faint sound of crickets chirping and the trickling of water from the pond outside. She was surprised that it was so quiet, figuring her brother Yamato was out partying with his friends from the eleventh division or chasing after pretty girls. That made the ebony skinned girl sigh in slight annoyance; so long as he didn't do anything stupid like get one of them pregnant or something. She knew she couldn't control him completely. But she did wish that he was more self-controlled like her elder brother Seito. Now that she thought about it, Tsukiko wondered if Seito had shown interest in a future wife. At least one of the Amaterasu siblings would need to marry and bare an heir eventually. She made a mental note to begin looking for potential wives for her brothers. Knowing her brother Yamato, he would probably up-right refuse an arranged marriage to a respectable noble woman and go off to find someone himself. Honestly, he didn't even seem the marrying type and he was surprisingly popular with girls. Most of the men in division eleven weren't good-looking at all. With the exception of maybe a handful. Not that Tsukiko thought of her brother as 'handsome' but she always saw him with at least one woman clinging on to him…

Of course Yamato's popularity could have had something to do with his noble blood. Tsukiko grimaced at the thought of him bringing home some gold-digger woman. Well, she thought herself a pretty good judge of character and if he did, she would promptly shoo her away. The girl herself had had to chase the occasional guy away from her, drooling after her like a rabid dog. Commoners the lot of them had been, some were decent enough. Others she wanted to hurt severely and still others she honestly wanted to run far far away from. Tsukiko was only interested in respectable men, intelligent noble men that she trusted and weren't after her fortune.

Pushing her now empty bowl and plate aside, Tsukiko wiped her mouth with the cloth napkin and got to her feet. She looked at the pile of paperwork on her desk for a moment, but decided she wanted to go for a little walk before getting started on it. Slipping a long-sleeved lavender haori over her shoulders, the girl stepped out into the night air. She closed the sliding doors behind her and made her way toward the front gate. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go, she just wanted to walk and think about things for a while.

"Here you go, freshly brewed tea~ I have to say that I'm a bit surprised that you came to see me so late in the evening, Byakuya. But I can't exactly complain, I'm happy for any company I get." A cup of steaming hot green tea was set in front of him and he hesitantly took it in his hands. "So, what can I help you with?"

* * *

><p>Byakuya looked over at the captain of division thirteen as he sat across from him, a wide grin on his pale face. Where was he even supposed to start? He remained silent for a moment, taking a few sips of tea to stall and think about it for a minute. Ukitake frowned and ran his fingers through his long white hair.<p>

"There..is a reason you came to see me, isn't there?"

"She comes here to visit you as well, doesn't she? Tsukiko?" Ukitake stared unblinking at his colleague, confused. He half-smiled and scratched his head.

"Why, yes she does. At least when I'm feeling well enough and usually earlier in the day. But..what does that have to..?," Ukitake stopped himself as it finally clicked and the smile grew larger. "R-Really Byakuya? When..for how long? Does she know?," the white-haired man was bombarding his guest with questions. Byakuya was a bit bewildered. How did he pick up on it so quickly? All he did was ask if the girl came over to visit here and he had figured things out already? The division six captain looked away, suddenly robbed of speech. He came here to talk about it, but now..was he being..bashful about it? When he looked over at Ukitake again he was wearing the most ridiculous smile on his face, resting his chin on the palm of one hand. Byakuya sighed, setting his cup of tea down and staring at a picture that was hanging up on the far wall.

"…what..should I do?," Byakuya asked finally, looking back at Ukitake out of the corner of his eyes. His old friend folded his arms in front of him, expression softened.

"Just talk to her. You must know that she probably feels the same way about you. At least it seems that way from how she talks about you. Or gets flustered whenever your name is even mentioned. Believe it or not, I've told her the same thing. She's a bit stubborn too. Tsuki-chan puts up an extremely strong front, but if you can look past all that, she's actually pretty shy about matters like this. She respects you a lot. Just..take it slow, she might run away if you confront her," the white haired man replied as he took a long drink of his tea.

So Byakuya's suspicions about the red-head were right afterall. He wondered how often Tsukiko talked about him.

"I understand about you being a bit conflicted about this. It's been a long time and I know you still love Hisana even after all this time. But, I wonder if maybe she wouldn't want you to be lonely. Tsukiko seems like a very patient girl. She'll wait for as long as she needs to. Think it over at least.."

He had been thinking it over, for a long time now he's been mulling over it between bouts of denial. And now the noble man wasn't even sure he could deny any longer. Maybe Ukitake was right..Byakuya got to his feet and made his leave.

"Thank you for the tea. I will be going now. I trust..that you well be keeping our discussion confidential?" His colleague smiled and nodded his head.

"Not a word, you know you can trust me. Feel free to drop by any time to talk somemore if you want to!," Ukitake called after him as Byakuya disappeared via shunpo. Ukitake chuckled lightly and went back to enjoying his tea, looking toward a sliding door as it opened.

"Really, Shunsui..eavsdropping? He's not going to be very happy if he ever finds out you were here..," Ukitake's long time best friend laughed and came to join him by the small table he sat, setting his bottle of sake down and taking a lounging position on the floor opposite his friend.

"I thought I hid myself pretty well, don't you? Well, guess we were right about our little red-headed friend, huh? I guess if she was going to fall for anyone if would have been him. Interesting though, he came to talk about it obviously but, he sure didn't say very much," the captain of division eight observed as he scratched his head curiously. Ukitake hummed softly and emptied his cup of tea, only to be handed a small cup of sake by his best friend.

"Well, that's just the way he is. And I honestly think he didn't really need to talk about this. I think what he really needed..was some encouragement and a little push. It's up to him now," the white-haired man still carrying a wide grin on his face; he had a feeling he was probably going to be grinning for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The night was becoming chilly, enough that the head of the noble Kuchiki clan gave a slight shiver even though he was wearing one of his heavier long-sleeved haori. Right now, he was doing what he had been planning since before he had set out to talk to Ukitake. Byakuya took his time with his routine nightly stroll, but he, maybe sub-consciously, was following a faint reishi trail. It lead him into a light forested area. Here, the air was crisp and heavy with the scent of recently bloomed plum and sakura blossom trees. Crickets were chirping in the background. The sound of trickling water was a few yards up ahead. A partially full moon's reflection danced on the glassy surface of the large lake, a thin cloud of mist hanging only a few feet above it. Byakuya stood here, only hidden by the waist down by bushes and stared out at the water.<p>

He had been here many times on his walks and usually the water was still and undisturbed. But there were waves lapping at the tiny shore. Koi perhaps, or turtles stirring during the night? No, the ripples were too large to be caused by creatures so small. Curiosity consuming him, he decided to investigate. He suppressed his reiatsu, not wanting to draw attention to himself if whatever was out here was a hollow. Not that the man was worried; unarmed he was still capable of handling such a thing with kido alone. Walking along the shore, he looked for signs of life, not seeing anything of interest. An upturned tree root here and there, empty snail shells and dried petals were all he found. Then, something caught his attention up ahead. A large tree branch swooped low from a plum blossom tree, almost reaching the surface of the lake. It was void of any leaves or flower petals. Instead, something had been draped over it. Stepping closer, Byakuya narrowed his eyes to study it..then his eyes widened slightly. It was cloth, two..no..three separate pieces of cloth. All a light lavender in color. Upon closer inspection, he identified a silk kimono, obi sash and haori; he knew who these belonged to.

A splash and gentle sigh caused Byakuya to snap his head over his shoulder to look toward the center of the lake, where the form of a very naked female appeared. Water poured from her long red hair that clung to her body. It ran down the contours of her slender frame. The ebony-skinned girl seemed oblivious to her surroundings as she began wringing out her hair. She opened her bright emerald eyes and looked around her, as if sensing that something was different. He hid himself quickly as she turned to look in his direction.

"..Hadou 33..**SOUKATSUI**!~" a blast of pale blue lightening shot out from Tsukiko's fingertips, aiming where she thought someone..or something was spying. It forced columns of water into the air from its wake, and blasted down trees and brush. Luckily, her aim was off..but only by a few feet. She knew something was there, but its reiatsu was so faint she couldn't track it properly.

_Impressive. A powerful attack from such a low-level spell. _Byakuya leaned against a large tree as the girl scrambled to dress herself.

"Who is there..show yourself! How dare you spy on me. Come out here now. I may not be armed, but I am well-versed in kido..," the girl demanded, right before she sneezed. And she felt blood draining from her face as she saw who emerged into the light. She stood there speechless, holding the collar to her yukata closed. "Ku..Ku..chiki-sama?," she began to sink to her knees but stopped herself as she realized she'd only get her clothes soaked more than they already were. The noble man said nothing at first, but then hesitantly held out a hand urging her to come out of the water.

"You are going to catch cold if you do not come out of there," he replied softly. Tsukiko did not move, seemingly frozen to the spot. She came to terms that she had fired a spell at a superior..against Byakuya. She shivered as wind touched her bare face, arms and legs. "..Do I need to come and drag you out myself? Come," his voice hardened a bit and it snapped Tsukiko out of her daze. Wrapping her lavender haori tighter over her shoulders, she joined the squad six captain on shore.

The two walked on in silence leaving the lake behind. Tsukiko wasn't sure what to say and kept her gaze straight ahead. She had questions of course, but whenever she opened her mouth to speak the words simply got caught in her throat. That, or a spasm of shivers travelled so severely through her body she couldn't muster the strength to talk. Going for a swim in the lake was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. It just looked so inviting that she couldn't help herself. And the water was so warm and comfortable.

"This wasn't very wise of you. What would have happened if a hollow appeared and not myself?," Byakuya asked in length breaking the silence.

"..With all due respect, my lord..what were you doing there in the first place?," Tsukiko retorted. She caught the tall man's glare and drew in a breath as she quickly countered her response, '..my apologies. I was just surprised that you were…This isn't the first time I've come here to take a swim. I know I should have brought my zanpakuto with me. But I've never been in danger while I've come here, so I didn't feel the need."

Byakuya stared at her, watching her shiver lightly again. Her clothes were clinging to her body as was her long hair, still occasionally dripping droplets of water. She wasn't even wearing sandals. As a second spasm of shivering sapped more of her strength, he sighed and pulled his own haori off his back and wrapped it around her shoulders. Tsukiko looked up at him like she wanted to protest.

"Kuchiki-sama..you'll get chilled without this! Really, I'll be dry in no time.."

"I will be fine."

"But I'm not worthy of such generosity. I cannot accept.."

"You will accept."

"..So you're refusing the word 'No'?"

"I am"

"..is that fair?"

"Tsukihana.." That last phrase caused the ebony skinned girl to snap her eyes open wider; he had never addressed her by that nickname before. She felt a blush burn her face, any protest she had quickly quieting.

"..Y-Yes?"

"..Shut up." The head of the Kuchiki clan found amusement in the confused look upon Tsukiko's face. She flushed and even deeper shade of red as he flashed her a slight smirk. The girl broke her gaze at him, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Sighing, she softly nodded her head. Her shivering stopped at having something warm and dry draped over her. Being that Byakuya was taller than her, his haori was larger hanging baggily over her frame. And..it had his scent..that wonderful intoxicating scent. She didn't say anything else about it. Instead, her mind was burning with another question.

"Kuchiki-sama..how..much did you see?," she asked timidly. Byakuya reminded silent at first.

"..I saw nothing."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. Nothing..nothing at all."

"How come I don't believe you?"

"You are calling me a liar?"

"When did you hear me say that?"

"It was implied."

Tsukiko couldn't help but smile, a soft giggle soon following as Byakuya glared at her, obviously a bit flustered. She walked a bit closer to him and, hesitating at first, lightly tap her fingers against his arm.

"It's..okay. I know that it wasn't on purpose. And I didn't mind since..it was you. I just didn't expect it. And I apologize for my retaliation earlier. I have had a few peeping-toms before. But I'm not mad at you, Kuchiki-sama. Hopefully you can forgive me too…what?," Tsukiko had stopped herself as Byakuya was staring at her. Not glaring as if he was angry or upset with her, or sending her a warning glare to watch what she said. This stare..It sent a chill up her spine.

"Forgiven..and forgotten. We will never speak of it again," the tall man replied, and surprised Tsukiko by taking her by the hand, '..you are still cold." The ebony skinned girl wasn't sure what to say as he squeezed her hand lightly. She hadn't even noticed that her hands were cold until he had said that.

"O-Oh. It's alright. My hands and feet are always the last things to warm up after I go swimming. Really, I'm fine though. There's no need to worry about me..Ah! H-Hey..Ku-chiki-sama, what're you doing?," the girl yelped as she felt herself getting scooped up in a pair of very strong arms.

"You will get drier this way," Byakuya stated as if it wasn't a big deal, continuing to walk while carrying her. She didn't struggle, in shock over what just happened; it was extremely comfortable in his arms, lying her head against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, steady and calm unlike her own which was pounding and felt as if it was going to leap out of her chest.

"Kuchiki-sama..um.."

"You are permitted to address me less formally. But only when we are alone. I have the right to retract that right if you abuse it." Tsukiko looked up into his calm face as he looked down at her; she so loved the way his hair fell over his face, she liked it better when it was loose, free from the royal kenseikai he usually wore during the day. She realized she'd just been given a huge honor.

"Yes, of course..Byakuya-sama. Thank you. And..I wouldn't mind if you called me my nickname from time to time. Also..when we're alone. I don't want everyone thinking that they can call me that." The tall man smiled, barely noticeable but Tsukiko could still see it.

"Very well. There..is something else I would like to talk about. But that will be for a later time. You need to warm up..and rest."

"I understand. And I'll wait patiently, Byakuya-sama.."


	4. Chapter 4rated M for sexual content

**A/N: ****Warning: OCXCanon pairing. Rated M for mature/sexual content. Read at your own risk. Further more..enjoy! And please Read and Review. Reviews/comments make me happeh~ **

Most people knew that Tsukiko was a good artist, some had been lucky enough to have gotten a picture or two drawn for them. Byakuya Kucihki's own sister Rukia had several of the young heiress's drawings tacked up on the walls in her room. He himself, had no such things. Of course it wasn't like him to demand things, especially from anyone else, but he should have been privileged to have one of her drawings. Byakuya was fair from being vain, but he didn't want just any drawing. It had to be classy, something specific to his tastes. A portrait maybe. But what kind, he wondered.

The head of the Kuchiki clan set down his ink brush and stacked his finished paperwork in the corner of his desk in his office. One full day of work completed without interruption, he felt satisfied. Now it was time for him to head home as it was well after hours. If he left right away..he might be able to catch her before she either went to sleep or on one of her little outings.

"Oh, Goodnight Kuchiki-taichou." The tall nobleman slightly nodded at the male squad member as he walked down one empty corridor. It seemed a few people were still hanging around the barracks at this time of night; he couldn't sense Renji Abarai's reiatsu anywhere nearby so Byakuya figured the man had gone off to do his own thing tonight. As the division six captain walked out into the cool night air, he sped up his pace a bit. The light outside was quickly fading and he figured there was at least a half hour left before total darkness set in. The Amaterasu Estate was a ways off and if he hoped to make it in time to talk to Tsukiko, there was no other choice but to get there as quickly as possible. Without a second thought, the man vanished with shunpo.

Getting into the noble family's estate was easy enough, the lone guard they had had let him pass through the gate without much question; Tsukiko had long ago told Byakuya that he didn't need an invitation to visit. The short cobble-stone walkway to the one level but impressively spacious house was lined on both sides with tall sakura trees, the ground lit softly with lanterns stuck into the soft ground. He could see that most if not all lights inside the house were off, and he could sense various reiatsu. The one he was most interested in searching out was Tsukiko's. Rounding a few corners, the tall man stood just outside where he knew her room was. Her own light was still lit and he distinctly heard soft humming. What was she doing?

"There is no need to be timid. Please come join me..?" Byakuya tensed up slightly, hesitating before sliding open the screen door. He had thought his own reiatsu was suppressed, but the ebony skinned girl had had no trouble sensing him anyway. When the captain of division six softly stepped into the brightly lit room, he was surprised to see her seated with a large parchment of paper lain out in front of her. She seemed to be in deep concentration even though she had beckoned for him to come in. Byakuya stood and gazed down at her work; calligraphy. An inked bamboo brush in hand, the woman's hand completed several steady strokes with all the grace and sophistication of the noble she was. His eyes followed admiring her penmanship as she finished the last stroke with a subtle flick of her wrist. Gently, Tsukiko lay her brush down and tilted her head to one side and studied her latest drawing. Byakuya found himself doing the same. In the center of the parchment she had painted a pair of swirling koi fish. One was painted dark, its mate simply outlined and the two seemed to dance around each other in what was clearly recognizable as a pond. And in the upper right corner was the kanji characters for 'Harmony' and 'Peace'. Overall, it was all beautifully executed.

Of course Byakuya had known that she had some considerable skill in calligraphy. On more than one occasion Tsukiko had come to his own sessions and took part with him. This particular piece was probably the most beautiful one he'd seen from her.

"It is..satisfactory? I can tell that you seem to like this one," the girl finally looked up and met with the nobleman's gaze. His slate-blue eyes locked for a moment with her softer emerald ones before snapping them away to look back at her finished work, slowly nodding.

"You have improved a great deal from the last one I've seen you do. What will you do with this one?," he wondered. To date, Byakuya never knew what the girl did with her artwork or where she kept them. Her own walls were clear, he supposed that she didn't really like the clutter. As he looked around her room he did notice that it was immaculately clean, not a stray piece of paper or speck of dust to be seen. She herself was extremely well groomed, a clean night kimono hugging her small frame and her long-sleeved lavender haori hanging off her shoulders. His gaze wandered back to her face and he saw her smile lightly, forcing him to break eye contact again and hide the slightest pink hue that started to burn his cheeks.

"Would..you like to have it? I was just going to roll it up and put it away once I was finished," Tsukiko offered. Byakuya considered this for a moment. No, he would rather have something else.

"No, thank you. Keep it. At least hang this one up. A picture like this deserves to be seen by eyes other than yours."

"O-Oh..thank you, Byakuya-sama. I will do that then. So…to what do I owe this visit? I'm not complaining that you came to see me. But I have a feeling it wasn't just to watch me paint my calligraphy." The ebony skinned girl proceeded to pack away her calligraphy set, gathering the small pile of blank parchment that she had set behind her. Byakuya remained silent, not sure how to go about asking for a drawing. He slightly fidgeted, something he was sure that Tsukiko noticed but she said nothing as she looked back up at him.

"So..is this all the drawing you have done tonight..aside from calligraphy I mean," Byakuya crossed his arms over his chest, not sure what to do with his hands. The ebony skinned woman looked at him curiously as she rolled up her completed parchment and stored it in a tube for safe keeping; she would hang it up once it was placed on a fancy scroll for hanging.

"Well, I was planning to do some drawings in my artbook. But since you are here I can do that some other time. Shall I call for a servant to bring us some tea and some-..."

"..Tsuki." The man interrupted her. She flushed at hearing him refer to her in such a manner. "I was wondering..if you would draw something. Something for me."

"F-For you? Of course! I-I mean..I would be honored to draw something special for you. Did you have anything in mind? I can draw just about anything. Just name it and I will draw it with the best of my ability~" The girl smiled widely, obviously excited about being given such an opportunity. She reached behind her, pulling a wide sketchbook with a smooth leather front cover and held together with red ribbon. Holding the book close to her for a moment, she then slid it forward and nodded to the nobleman. "This one has my more detailed work..life drawings and portraits. Not everyone was willing to model for me, and it's not the easiest to find really good ones.."

Byakuya took the time to examine the finely crafted book itself, running his fingertips along the leather covering. Tsukiko's initials were emblazoned on the lower left corner in gold kanji characters, the cover had no scratches, no blemishes. She obviously took great care of her belongings and it was clear that this sketchbook was a custom creation, probably made for her to her own specification by someone with a strong steady hand. Carefully, he unwound the twine that held the book closed and flipped through the first pages. The first half of the drawings were outdoors, landscapes and various places throughout the Seireitei. He recognized a few..the long hallways of Division One, there was even a drawing of the Captain's Meeting hall with what appeared to be a snoozing Genryusai in his chair. He wondered how Tsukiko had managed to gain permission to be in such a place. There was the heavily wooded training grounds of the second division on the next few pages. He stopped when the next page was of a sleeping Shunsui. The amount of detail she had poured into this particular piece rivaled that of the landscape drawings she did previously. Byakuya had known the man to be somewhat lazy, so for Tsukiko to be able to draw him without him moving must have been fairly simple.

Near the end of the sketchbook were few..very few..portraits of various shinigami posing partially nude. He didn't know any of the individuals, frankly he didn't want to. But he couldn't deny that these drawings were of the highest quality. The linework, the shading, the expressiveness of the models..this was all the work of someone who understood art and poured her heart and soul into each one. Slowly, he made up his mind. No one else would know about this, or see the end results except for he and Tsukiko. He couldn't help but feel nervous about what he was about to ask her to do. Would she accept? How long would something as high quality as one of her portraits take? The ebony skinned woman seemed to read his mind as he was still lingering on the drawings toward the back of her sketch pad, and she smiled timidly.

"You..likes those? If that is what you want, then..I'd be happy to. But keep in mind that something like that will take some time, several hours..maybe three or four for the most detailed work. I will leave time and day up to your choosing…" Byakuya closed her sketchbook with the same amount of care he took to open it and slid it back toward her.

"Tomorrow..eight o'clock. No one else may know of this," the tall noble man stared unblinking at the red-haired woman, who nodded slowly and took her sketchbook in her hands.

"Alright. You have my word. And I will be sure to stress that no one in this house disturb me after that time under no circumstances."

So that was that. Tomorrow he would return and have his personal portrait drawn…

* * *

><p>As promised, Byakuya showed up once again at the Amaterasu Estate the next night. At least ten minutes early; he always had put great emphasis on punctuality. Tsukiko herself was busying herself checking over her supplies, even took the time to do a couple warm-up drawings on some loose sheets of parchment paper. When the tall man appeared before her again, he let himself into the ebony-skinned woman's room and shut the screen door behind him. She was again sitting in the middle of the room next to a large plush blanket stretched out beside her. The lighting in the room had been dimmed and he noticed a soft subtle fragrance of flowers and citrus.<p>

"Dimmed lighting gives me more shadows to work with..if you were wondering. W-Well..make yourself comfortable. Would you like a cup of tea before I start?," the girl asked as she stood to position herself further away.

"No, thank you..I require nothing," Byakuya responded flatly. He closed his eyes and proceeded to loosen her scarf. Tsukiko quickly turned away, giving the man a little privacy. She lightly shook her head as she tried to clear her mind, trying to ignore the sounds of clothes being shifted around and or..removed. She had to look at this professionally, this was just another life drawing session. But then again…this was Byakuya. This was the man that she had the strongest of feelings for. The two were far from really dating, but most people noticed that they spent a lot of their free time together lately. Tsukiko cleared her throat and opened her sketchbook to a fresh sheet of paper, examining it to make sure it was free from any dirt, creases or anything that could devalue the picture later on. "Do I need to do anything?," Byakuya finally asked, his voice surprisingly soft and calm. Tsukiko blinked and turned around, and swallowed hard at the sight set up before her.

He lay on his stomach, using his arms to rest his head in. Her eyes followed the curves and contours of his muscular arms, chest and a good portion of his lower abdomen. He had removed everything but his royal kanseikan, his white scarf and hakama. But he had loosened his obi sash a bit so it hung loosely on him. Byakuya stared back at her, fighting the urge to grin as he saw the girl glaring blankly at him. She found her voice again, clearing her throat yet again before she even attempted to speak.

"Um..n-no..no that's actually perfect. I will try to get this done as quickly as I can. Is it warm enough for you?," the ebony skinned girl wondered as she scooted closer slightly and took her seat on a cushion, sketchbook and charcoal pencil in hand."

"It is fine..Tsukihana. There is no rush so..take your time and I will be still for you," the tall nobleman couldn't help but grin as the usage of her full nickname forced a crimson red blush almost as red as her hair to grace her cheeks. Her eyes cast down on her paper again and she placed the first quick lines down.

Well this was definitely a first for Byakuya. No one had ever been permitted to view this much of his naked noble flesh before. He kept his calm eyes on her, watching the short controlled strokes of pencil against paper as she drew her subject. The blush on her face kept itself on her cheeks, but she tried to ignore it, concentrating on her work. Byakuya was glad that the blanket he lay on was comfortable because laying still for three hours or more seemed like a daunting task, even for him. But at least he could close his eyes and nap if he wanted to. Or could he? He kept feeling her eyes on him, looking up frequently as her picture became more detailed. This was undoubtedly, the most risque thing he had done in his entire life. And..he couldn't help but think that this was a little arousing. There was no way he was going to be able to take a little nap now, not with Tsukiko looking at him.

She had slowed down now, spending more time on specific areas to flesh them out more. Tsukiko took a moment to study the shadows that were cast on his body. God, he was so sexy laying there like that. She had to admit that she was slightly disappointed that she couldn't see a bit more of him. The ebony skinned woman sighed lightly and tried to shake herself of the impure things that were running through her mind right now. She didn't have time, nor the right to be thinking such things..did she? It was clear that lately the two had become a little closer. It was only a few days ago that he had seen more of her than anyone else had, running into her at a nearby lake on one of his nightly strolls. It was only fair that she was curious about his body. Tsukiko gripped her pencil so tightly she thought it might break. Taking in a few deep breaths, she calmed herself and put her full concentration back into her work.

Byakuya hadn't even realized that he had actually drifted off to sleep until he heard his name being called. How long had he been asleep?

"Sorry. I figured that maybe you would like a break..stretch out your muscles a bit. If you lay like that the entire time you'll get all stiff and achy. Um..here," Tsukiko set a cup of cool water beside the blanket. The man was actually thirsty and took the water without hesitation. Rolling over onto his back, he propped himself up and drained the cup quickly. The ebony skinned woman smiled up at him and showed him her progress. "I have to say that..you are the best subject I've had so far. It actually won't take much longer to finish." Byakuya leaned forward to look at her handiwork, and was extremely pleased with what he saw. The image on the page was an exact representation of himself. In spite of himself, Byakuya looked up at her and smiled.

"It looks very good. I came to the right person for this then," the man replied as he lay on his back for a moment, arms stretched out to his sides, clenching and flexing his fingers.

"Thank you, Byakuya-sama. That means a lot..," the girl beamed down at the man laying sprawled out before her. She could finally clearly see his muscular chest and ab muscles. She bit her lip as she found her eyes wandering down his body, wanting nothing more than to run her fingers along his stomach, tracing his muscles.

"..What is it?" Tsukiko jumped as Byakuya's voice snapped her out of her trance and she looked back at his face, expecting him to be wearing a cold expression. But she was surprised that his eyes were soft..and he was sporting the slightest hint of a smirk on his face. She flushed bright red, ashamed at indulging herself without his knowledge or permission. Of course, he was well aware that she had been staring at his exposed flesh.

"I-Im..I'm sorry. Um..shall we continue then..eh?," the woman's eyes widened as a warm gentle hand stroked the side of her face. "..Byakuya-sama?" Tsukiko gritted her teeth as fingers traced her jawline, stopping behind her ear and running his fingers through her hair.

"And what is it you are sorry for, Tsukihana?," Byakuya replied with a calm voice. He took her by the hand and, almost harshly, pulled her down to lay beside him. "What are you sorry for exactly?" The tall nobleman brushed her bangs away from her face with one hand, using his free arm to hold her there next to him. Tsukiko clamped her eyes shut and felt shivers traveling up and down her spine as Byakuya ran his fingertips along the rim of her ear, tracing slowly down the side of her neck and along the underside of her chin. She felt her skin grow hot under his touch, swallowing down a whimper; no one had ever touched her this way..she didn't want it to end.

"Um..I-I was..," the girl found herself completely flabbergasted, looking up into Byakuya's face as he held her in place and refused to let her go. What was she supposed to say? What would he think if she just out-right admitted that she was glaring at his partially naked form with lustful eyes? Byakuya didn't really mind in all honestly, but seeing Tsukiko flustered like this was quite amusing. He hesitated at first, but slowly..placed the softest kiss on her lips. Tsukiko's face lit up, her already flush cheeks growing even redder. He didn't leave time for her to respond or even protest, following up with a second deeper kiss. Not that Tsukiko was going to protest. She relaxed her body somewhat, and dared to rest an arm on his chest. When he didn't reprimand her or pushed her away, she left it there.

Byakuya had not planned for things to turn out this way..but he could no longer help himself. Everything he had suppressed about this woman was coming to the surface now. He nibbled at her bottom lip hungrily, grinning as he listened to her whimper softly. The ebony skinned woman parted her lips slightly and it was enough for him to go a bit further. He pulled her closer and wrapped his lips around hers, slipping his tongue inside to explore. She was reluctant at first, but slowly Tsukiko reciprocated and slid her own tongue against his. A soft moan escaped her throat as she felt Byakuya's hand exploring her body, distracting her momentarily and allowing him to gain dominance. He started with her collarbone, pushing the fabric of her kimono aside to brush his fingertips along it. The ebony skinned woman managed to break their lip-lock and fought for a few minutes for air. But the nobleman didn't stop, instead placing soft loving kisses in the crook of her neck teasing her with lips and tongue. His eyes snapped open as she felt a soft hand caressing his chest, shyly fingering his nipples. He felt himself slowly losing composure, shuttering at the contact. Byakuya quickly caught himself, pulling himself away from the woman.

"Byakuya-sama..I-I'm sorry..I…," Tsukiko stammered. Her words caught in her throat as the tall man proceeded to pull the kenseikan out of his hair, letting it fall freely over his face. He placed them aside, and grinned down at the red-head as he rested both hands on either side of her head.

"Why are you sorry? You apologize far too much. Be silent now," the tall man leaned down to plant a series of soft kisses on her forehead.

Tsukiko's head was spinning. Things seemed to be going by in slow motion now as Byakuya loosened the obi sash around her own waist, exposing more of her tanned silky skin. She didn't tell him to stop, nor did she want him to. Her heart hammered in her chest as Byakuya's hands caressed her shoulders, easing her tensed muscles and forcing her to relax further. His hands..they were so soft. Normally she would have been surprised, most men had hands full of calluses. But Byakuya was a noble, so there was no surprise that his own skin was so remarkably free from such things. She let out a pleasurable moan as she felt warm wet kisses fall between her breasts, gripping the plush blanket beneath her as his fingers proceeded to swirl circles around her fleshy nipples. He was taking him time, working her body slowly into the highest state of arousal; the night was young, what was the rush? Besides, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible.

Byakuya's touches grew heavier and more passionate, enjoying the sounds the woman made and the sight of her squirming lightly under his ministrations. He tasted her skin, pulling one of her nipples into his mouth while he continued to lightly massage the other. Her hands were soon in his hair and she arched her body into him, moaning pleasurably as his tongue licked and swirled against her skin. The man groaned himself as he felt himself hardening, aching for some kind of contact. Another noise escaped his throat as a pair of slender fingers traced lines up and down his strong back. When the woman's nails came into play he grunted rather loudly, biting his lip and trying to recompose himself again. But he barely had time as those same hands dropped down low, very low, slipped between his legs and brushed against his erection through the fabric of his hakama. The nobleman hissed through clenched teeth and buried his face in her neck as curious hands gently massaged his organ.

"..Tsuki..aah..," Byakuya groaned as those hands of hers lightly gripped and rubbed him. If she didn't stop, he'd lose control of himself before he was ready to. But if she stopped…He didn't want her to stop. More contact. He wanted, rather needed more contact; his hakama pants were becoming a nuisance and hindrance now. Tsukiko seemed to read his mind again, and he felt her yanking his obi sash from his body. Byakuya assisted, wiggling his hips out of his hakama finally pulling himself free of the restraining fabric. The woman grabbed the nearest thing close to her and pulled it over the both of them, using the nobleman's own captain's haori as another blanket.

"B-Byakuya..are you sure that..it's okay to be doing this?," the ebony skinned woman questioned as she rested the palms of her hands firmly on his lower abdomen. Tsukiko hummed softly as the division six captain leaned down to kiss lovingly behind her left ear, and she giggled softly as his tongue found a particularly ticklish spot.

"..yes, I am sure. I want to do this, to be with you right now," Byakuya whispered softly. He moaned into her hair as he felt her hands wrap around him. She stroked him slowly, brushing her fingers down his length and stopping to gently massage at the base.

"That's..all I need to hear. I want to be with you too, Byakuya." The ebony skinned woman tilted her head back as the nobleman forced it back to lay a line of kisses down her sensitive neck. Her hands hadn't stopped, caressing and massaging his erection. Reluctantly, Byakuya pulled her hands away and held them firmly down by her side; it wasn't going to be all about him tonight as good as it felt. He completely untied the woman's obi, pulling her kimono away and ran his hands down the sides of her body. "B-Byakuya~ Aaaah..!," Tsukiko arched her back as she felt fingers inside her, pumping them in and out preparing her for what was coming.

"Say..it again. Tsuki, say my name again. I want to hear you," Byakuya cooed softly as he gently parted her legs more.

"..B-Byakuya..make love to me, please. Mnaah!~ Byakuya-sama," Tsukiko reached up to wrap her arms around her lover's neck as she felt his throbbing organ slide against her.

He entered her slowly, taking care as to not cause her too much discomfort. Her tightness made it obvious that she had not been sexed before, either that or it had just been a long time for her. But as far as Byakuya knew, she had never been with anyone else. He had never seen her with any other man, and that gave him much satisfaction. He let a growl of pleasure force itself out of him as he pushed further until his length was inside completely. Tsukiko yelped at first, but her whimpering turned to sighs of pleasure as any pain ebbed away, and she pulled Byakuya tighter against her body wanting every inch of her body to be touching his in some way. The nobleman could feel his orgasm building, ready to fire at any moment, and he could feel her growing ever closer as his fullness pumped into her. He clenched his teeth and shut his eyes as her walls closed tighter around him. No longer able to hold it back, he climaxed hard clinging onto her and rode it out. Tsukiko followed close behind and both collapsed back onto the plush blanket, heaving and covered in sweat.

"Tsukihana..there is something I want to ask you" The two had lay still for ten minutes in silence, holding onto each other and catching their breath and strength back. Tsukiko was laying her head across his chest, smiling as he ran his fingers pleasantly up and down her back. When he spoke, she looked up at him with dreamy eyes.

"Yes, what it is Byakuya?" She had gotten used to addressing him without any honorifics. And he didn't seem to mind it.

"Will you come to me tomorrow, to my estate? I would like to introduce you formally to the elders. I don't think they would have any objections by bringing a noble woman before them.." the nobleman met with the ebony skinned woman's beautiful emerald eyes, his expression the softest she had ever seen. She smiled and leaned up to kiss his chin.

"I will. If this means what I think it does, of course I will." Byakuya smiled and hugged the woman tighter.

"Good. We'll talk more about it later." Byakuya felt his eyes growing heavy. He was sure it was rather late, but he didn't feel like moving. He'd stay here, and in the morning he would formally speak with Tsukiko's family. For now he wanted to sleep…


End file.
